Reading the Signs
by Secrets-in-Desguise
Summary: Danny Wilson was a normal boy - until schizophrenia stole his mind. Now, James Wilson thinks he will never miss the signs of insanity again... But did he miss it in his best friend? A House/Danny parallel. Oneshot. Rated for language/adult themes.


A/N: **IMPORTANT!!! I DID NOT WRITE THIS STORY.** **My friend**, she-who-shall-not-be-named,** wrote this** lovely angst. I merely edited it and now **I am publishing it FOR HER**, since her computer is odd and she doesn't have an account here. **I HAVE HER PERMISSION AND REQUEST TO POST THIS HERE!** I just want to be clear that I did not write this one. However, please feel free to review, as I shall convey all comments to her and I'm sure she would greatly appreciate any and all feedback, since she probably thinks I went too easy on her. ;)

I will get around to posting something of my own soon (read "eventually"). Thank you for your patience, and enjoy!

PS. The strike-through did not come up when the doc uploaded. Please read anything -written like this- as crossed out. Sorry y'all, it's the best I could do.

* * *

When Wilson first met Gregory House, he thought other doctor was rude, loud, badly groomed, and dreadfully funny. Wilson also found House to be impossible to get rid of. Wilson thought of calling the police to report stalking, but thought it a poor way to repay a man who had bailed him out of jail. To his great embarrassment, Wilson even found himself laughing at House's jokes during serious and important lectures. Wilson still remembered all of them, sadly; especially the one about married Dr. Brown and his very pretty aide.

***

"_Come on. You know she was hot!" exclaimed the very persistent Dr. House._

"_Doctor House, I don't think you should be thinking such things about Ms. Brittany." replied a flushed and embarrassed Dr. Wilson as they walked through the crowded halls of the medical conference to a late lunch at the cafeteria._

"_How can you even say that?" asked House, "Brittany is a cheerleader name, not a 'Ms.' name, and besides, what do you think do you think Brown was thinking when he hired her? It certainly wasn't for her brains."_

"_I'm sure Ms. Brittany," he couldn't restrain a small smile now; House was quite right, "is a very competent assistant." The coughing fit that followed after was entirely unconnected to what he had said. He had been congested for several days. It was the change in climate, Wilson was sure. House stared at Wilson like he had grown two heads as he brushed past a disturbed Dr. Murphy, coming from the lunch line, into the lunch room._

"_Really, I'm sure he wouldn't have hired her if she wasn't good for something." Wilson reasserted glad that neither Dr. Brown nor Ms. Brittany appeared to be in the lunch room. He noticed the closet beside them moaned slightly. He grimaced. Interns, really._

"_Oh, I'm sure she is good for _something_." House replied, wiggling his eyebrows crudely. A soft knock as if a hand fell against the closet. Wilson rubbed the back of his neck and began to reach for the doorknob._

"_NO!" House shouted loudly for the whole cafeteria to hear. "Dr. Wilson, I'm surprised at you for even thinking such things about Ms. Brittany." Wilson froze and stared at House. Another moan, slightly louder. House leaned against the door knob, pushing it down._

"_And Dr. Brown! He would never! " Wilson flushed in anger because the entire cafeteria was watching now, and he had never said anything of the sort. Wilson opened his mouth to retort._

"_Never!" And House suddenly threw his arms out, no longer leaning on the door, but holding the knob, and the door flew open. Leaving a very flushed couple to fall to the ground._

"_Ooops... Looks like I was wrong Wilson." House said smiling like the cat that caught the canary. "I'll get you that ten dollars later." Then he turned tail and hurried to catch up to the lunch line that had left them behind._

"_I never… he… didn't… HOUSE!" Wilson, laughing silently, quickly turned after him, leaving Dr. Brown and Ms. Brittany the center of attention in the lunch room. 'Mrs. Brown was not going to be happy.' Wilson thought mortified and terribly amused._

_***_

Yes, House was incredibly hard to get rid of but Wilson found that he didn't mind so much.

When Wilson first met Danny Wilson, he thought that the child was rude, loud, dirty, and very funny. He didn't understand why his parents wanted another child, especially one who didn't understand what potties were for. During the nights of constant crying, Jimmy often thought of taking the baby to the nice couple down the street; surely they would take good care of him and his parents could get some much needed sleep. His parents were so fond of Danny though and they did say the baby was his brother. Jimmy also found himself laughing at many of the baby's antics, especially as he got older. Danny was surprisingly funny; although, throwing the mashed potatoes they were eating for lunch into grumpy old Mr. Curtain's hair was very disrespectful. It ended the old man's long-winded war story quickly, and Jimmy decided maybe Danny wasn't so bad to have around.

When House first began showing signs of insanity, Wilson would never know. Many had said House was insane, but where a lack of respect for normal human mores ended and insanity began, no one could have told you. Perhaps he had always been insane, but that seemed unlikely to Wilson. His habit of staring off into space unblinkingly when deep in thought was a little disconcerting, but easily ignored. It could have been taken as a display of his intelligence, even not at all bad. His habit of finding and testing the newest and most interesting drugs when off call was also not so disturbing until after his infarction. In fact, it could lead to quite an enjoyable evening if House decided to share. Even House's disturbing sleep habits, which should have been the most telling, did not tip Wilson off. No, Wilson wouldn't have expected even himself to see it coming, had it not been for Danny.

When Danny first began showing signs of insanity, Jimmy would never know. It was difficult for him to recall correctly since he was still child when it began and at first it was subtle. Jimmy first remembered the constant restless pacing through the night at about the age of 13 or 14, not unlike House's, which did not, as many thought, begin with the infarction. Jimmy remembered Danny breaking off in the middle of sentences to listen unblinking as if someone else was speaking. He remembered the fast drop from perfect family to Hell on earth, but in a way he thanked Danny. Now Wilson thought he would always see the signs and know not get close, not to love. He never would be caught off guard again. All thanks to Danny.

He had researched and studied schizophrenia religiously. And he still missed it in House. Of course House didn't really have it… just some symptoms.

When Danny fell into insanity he did it fast, and soon no one could deny there was something was wrong with the once playful and friendly boy. Jimmy's once happy and mischievous little brother had changed. Schizophrenia had shattered their household and there were awful stereotypes about the disease back then. It had to be kept a secret, but the worst of the entire situation was Danny. Danny, whose eyes no longer shined with a mischief they had contained before. Instead his eyes stared blankly out from a blank face. Danny who began to hate people and Jimmy did too. They hurt his brother; Danny told him so, told him that they were out to get Danny. Jimmy knew it was true, because his smart little brother started getting C's and D's. Then finally F's at the age of eleven. Danny, who was intelligent and easy going, who made friends more readily than shy little Jimmy. Now Danny started fights constantly, verbal, physical, even with people he couldn't possibly win against at thirteen. Danny who knew better drinking and smoking and fucking girls wherever, whenever he chose at sixteen.

***

_Daniel Wilson was gone. Jimmy had stayed up to watch him tonight, since he was home for spring break from college, sending his overworked mother off to bed. However, he had failed to keep Danny safe. Danny had paced back and forth in his room at 10 o'clock. He had paced at 11. He had paced at 12. He had paced at 1 am, when Wilson had fallen asleep, and then Danny had run out of the House screaming and terrified at 3 in the morning._

"_Aliens, aliens. They've come. They want to steal my brains for their research!" Danny yelled to the entire neighborhood as Wilson rushed outside after him, having been woken by Danny's shouting. Afraid of Danny waking the neighbors, Jimmy had tackled him and tried to block his mouth._

_Danny had become frantic, bucking and crying out as if Jimmy were hurting him, but Jimmy had him caught. "Get off me you fucking bastard!" screamed Danny in terror, obviously thinking Jimmy was in league with the "aliens." He struck out at Jimmy's face._

"_What's that racquet?!" Johnny Lester's mom had screeched, walking outside._

"_Nothing," Jimmy had replied just a tad too quickly, rolling off of Danny. Danny took off. 'This doesn't look good for me,' he had thought under Mrs. Lester's penetrating gaze. He rubbed the back of his neck. "We were just playing a game," claimed Jimmy with his most winning smile._

_Mrs. Lester was not fooled. A twenty-one year old and a seventeen year old playing outside at 3 am? She said nothing, just gave him a look. She left, nose in the air. Jimmy sighed in relief, but it was too late, Danny was gone for days, for hours, who knew, only to come back smelling of booze, drugs, and sex – if he came back at all._

_***_

The Danny that was Jimmy's little brother was no more.

When House fell, he fell hard too. House was insane. God, the very thought was insane. House had always been insane, but he was never… never_** insane**_before. Wilson didn't know what to think. Of course House's hallucinations were typical of many psychoses, but he couldn't help being reminded of Danny's blank, attentive face. House's addictions to everything - porn, poker, drugs, alcohol, very typical of schizophrenic patients. Many similar addictions to Danny. Of course, they were lucky. How could he say lucky? That they had caught House early. His voices, Amber and Kutner, Wilson reminded himself -- they had names, unlike Danny's. They could've stopped House from coming to a correct diagnosis and really hurt someone. The doctors hadn't said… they hadn't said anything yet, Wilson had to remind himself. Wilson didn't want to think the same disease had stolen another from him. He didn't want to think that House Jimmy's best friend was no more.

Of course House wasn't insane, he couldn't be. Could he?

***

Gregory House grimaced as he threw Wilson's letter into the trash can. That letter hadn't sounded like Wilson at all.

**-Dea- Hey House,**

**How are you? I heard Chase and Cameron are getting along well. Not that anyone really expected them to have trouble adjusting to married life. Foreman is doing a decent job keeping the team together – meaning, as you would say, 'They haven't killed anyone yet.'**

Every other sentence was a need for reassurance, reassurance that House was coming back.

**The hospital is pretty boring without you here. Where else am I supposed to get the latest gossip from? I think Katherine, -- you know that new nurse in ER with red hair and legs out to there --? is going out with that lawyer with eleven fingers.**

This wasn't the Wilson that talked to House when they were alone. It was obviously censored for any sign of his illness or anything that could cause stress.

**I**** don't see the big attraction. -I think he would be all hands-. I hadn't heard that he broke up with the other girl though. Maybe he hasn't. You would know where to find out.**

**-I finally moved out of Amber's apartment.-**

Did Wilson seriously think he couldn't read behind some frantic crossing out? Jimmy probably needed help right now more than House did.

**I found a rat in my new apartment today. Should I keep it for you? You could name it Steve II and take care of it when you get home.**

House's illness was affecting Wilson, or perhaps Jimmy, more than House himself. After all, he had been home and back working at the hospital for several weeks. This was the only symptom presenting though, so Wilson would probably be OK, House mused as he took himself off to bed.

**I wish you'd come home. I'm so worried about you. I know you're going to get better no matter what the doctors say. Anyway, have a nice week. I'm glad you're finally getting help.**

**Write you again later,**

**Jimmy Wilson**


End file.
